Do you remember the time when watches became a thing of the past or just a collector’s item? This was when we all started relying on our smart phones for telling us the time of the day. But then when technology was integrated into wearable devices, smart watches became popular again. These smart watches didn’t just tell time but also kept the user updated about vital health information, monitor movement and much more. The pandemic also highlighted the importance of wearable tech and drove more consumers into this tech segment. Consumers started using smartwatches to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen saturation level, check ECG and more. According to Deloitte researchers, around 320 million tech wearables will be shipped worldwide in 2022 and by 2024 this number can reach 440 million units. With progressive improvement in artificial intelligence and sensors, wearable tech is now helping millions manage chronic health conditions and detect any potential serious illnesses in a very affordable and convenient manner.

1. Wearable Tech and the Health Industry
Do you remember the time when watches became a thing of the past or just a collector’s
item? This was when we all started relying on our smart phones for telling us the time of the
day. But then when technology was integrated into wearable devices, smart watches
became popular again. These smart watches didn’t just tell time but also kept the user
updated about vital health information, monitor movement and much more. The pandemic
also highlighted the importance of wearable tech and drove more consumers into this tech
segment. Consumers started using smartwatches to monitor heart rate, blood oxygen
saturation level, check ECG and more.
According to Deloitte researchers, around 320 million tech wearables will be shipped
worldwide in 2022 and by 2024 this number can reach 440 million units. With progressive
improvement in artificial intelligence and sensors, wearable tech is now helping millions
manage chronic health conditions and detect any potential serious illnesses in a very
affordable and convenient manner.
Healthcare tech wearables now go beyond the simple fitness trackers and smart watches
that we use to monitor our calories and workout activities. They have far more advanced
capabilities now. Smart skin patch, ECG monitoring electrodes, smart gloves are all
examples of advanced wearable tech. These devices are capable of collecting vital
information from the user and transferring them straight to the healthcare professional.
Let’s delve more into the different kinds of wearable tech available in the healthcare market
now. First we have health monitoring devices with sensors. These devices are designed to

2. measure heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, etc. Then there are therapeutic
devices which help in monitoring patient metrics in real time. They are specific to the disease
and specifically designed to manage disease therapy and treatment. Rehabilitation devices,
insulin pumps and pain management devices fall under this category. Then there are the
activity trackers. These monitor step counts, calories, sleep patterns, etc.
It is interesting to understand why wearable tech has started gaining mass popularity. To
start with, they are highly personalised to each user. The tech can be modified to suit the
users’ needs. People with any wearable tech connected to a smartphone can have access to
their vitals at any moment of time. Wearable tech can also help in creating healthy habits.
They can be programmed to help users set goals and track activities. As most health
problems such as blood pressure, diabetes are the result of lifestyle choices, improving
habits can help prevent these diseases. Popular wearable tech such as smartwatches and
fitness bands are now also easily affordable for a large majority of the consumers and thus
easy to adopt.
Slowly as wearable tech is becoming more advanced, the gap between them and medical
technology is becoming less each day. Now it’s not just the consumers who are taking
advantage of these products but doctors and the healthcare industry have also started
relying on them. Advanced smartwatches are not just providing info about pulse rate and
ECG but also measure variations in blood volume and composition. Data from these sensors
can be used to provide detailed insight about activity levels, heart pattern anomalies and
more. Smart patches are also very small and unobtrusive. They use microscopic needles
that penetrate into the skin and act as biosensors to collect and transfer information.
Wearable technology is playing a large part in decentralising healthcare and helping
consumers take charge of their own health. The impact of such technology is helping
doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals to deliver better services, more

3. customised solutions and stay connected with their patients. For example, Zephyr’s
BioPatch provides minute by minute updates on a patient's vital signs and physiological
state. This can be especially useful during post-op care or for chronic illnesses.
What wearable tech is also doing is that it is helping patients and users be incharge of their
own health. They can monitor their vitals on their own and avoid any future medical
emergency by taking precautions in time. It also helps them reach their healthcare providers
in time and not in an urgency and they can be treated in a more systematic manner.
Wearables can also reduce hospital visits and anxiety induced by hypochondriac thinking
which can help users feel at peace about their physical health.
As wearable tech is still a recent phenomenon, not many studies have been conducted to
understand their long term impact on a person’s health. But the short term results have been
studied. It’s been found that smart watches or an accessible wearable tech gives you the
power of decision making. According to the Fogg behaviour Model, three elements must
converge at the same time for a behaviour to occur : people need to be motivated to act,
need to have the ability to act and have a prompt to act. Wearable technology provides
exactly this prompt which propels users to act in a healthy way - whether it is going for a run
or getting that morning yoga. Also, wearing a smartwatch makes users more accountable.
They feel like they are being watched and tracked which motivates them to continue healthy
behaviours for a longer time than they would without using such technology.
Like with every other technological advancement, this one also comes with some hurdles.
Some of the biggest concerns while integrating easy wearable tech into the healthcare
sector include accuracy of data, patient not being able to wear the device properly, technical
issues that may arise and lead to false alarms, data privacy concerns and cybersecurity
threats. Eventually once these devices become commonplace in the healthcare industry,

4. there is also a question of regulations from government bodies regarding data collection and
its use by healthcare professionals. While these are not insurmountable hurdles, they could
slow the process of integrating this technology more rapidly with the healthcare systems
around the globe. That said, this is definitely not a deterrent for big tech companies,
healthcare startups and other industries to invest millions of dollars in innovating and
improving wearable tech. They do believe there is a growing acceptance of this technology
by consumers as well as health care providers which will eventually help in overcoming all
barriers.